How to Buy Your Next Pair of Glasses Online

The purpose of this article is to simply describe what you need to do to buy your first pair of glasses online. I will not recommend particular retailers, as you can find that info in several of my other articles and also check out the links on the right of this page. Purchasing eyewear online seems daunting at first. If you're like me, purchasing and fitting prescription glasses always seemed like a complex procedure best left to professionals. The truth is, if you know your prescription and have your existing rx glasses handy, it is really quite simple to purchase glasses online.

The Seven Critical Numbers

First, find your current prescription. I keep mine in the health file in my filing cabinet. If you can't find your prescription, visit wherever you last had your eyes examined and request a copy. Your optician, optometrist, or ophthalmologist is required by law to release your eyewear prescription to you. You now need to make note of a few critical pieces of information from your prescription (see example above--click to enlarge) more info. Among other information, you should see three columns on your prescription--sphere, cylinder, and axis.

In the example above, these are abbreviated SPH. CYL. and AXIS. These three columns will have two rows, Right and Left. In the prescription above, this is simply abbreviated R and L. Many doctors instead use the latin abbreviations, which are OD and OS. OD means right eye and OS means left eye. Jot down a quick copy of the six numbers or simply keep your prescription handy. These six critical numbers define how your lens will be carved. Any online eyewear retailer will ask for the input of these six numbers.

In addition to these six numbers, there is one more critical number, the Pupillary Distance, or PD. This is a measure, in millimeters, of the space between your eyes. In the example prescription above, you'll see the Pupillary Distance of the patient is 62. Jot down this number also, it is the seventh of your seven critical numbers.

A Final Measurement

A somewhat less critical number is your temple length. If you're lucky, you'll also see a temple length and bridge size in your prescription. If not, don't sweat it, you can figure it out yourself. The temple length describes the length of the two bars that connect the glasses to your ears. It is measured from where the 90-degree curve from your lens structure to the side bars (temples) begins to the very end of the temple, including the curve. It is not measured from the flex point of the temples, because the "stub" between the flex point and lens structure is not a standard size.

Now, take out some measuring tape (preferably the type of tape used for fitting clothes and sewing, as it is very flexible) and measure an existing pair of glasses that fit comfortably. An average temple length for men is 135mm or 145mm. For women, 130mm to 140mm is standard. If your tape only has inches, measure to the nearest eighth or sixteenth and multiply that number by 25.4 to get the measurement in millimeters. Temple lengths are generally available in 5mm increments, such as 130, 135, 140, 145, etc. At most online eyeglasses stores, temple length is shown within a frame description and is not customizable. Therefore, you need to find a frame with an appropriate temple size. This sometimes varies if you are at a site specializing in designer glasses, where you have the option to input your own temple size.

Honestly, temple size is not a huge deal. I have one pair of glasses with 135mm temples and another with 140mm temples. Both pairs fit comfortably. If for some reason you can't come up with a temple measurement, don't let that stop you from making an eyewear purchase online. Instead, simply choose 140mm temples if you are a man and 135mm temples if you are a woman. Chances are, this length will fit comfortably.

What's your Style?

Armed with your seven critical numbers and an idea on your temple length, start browsing the myriad of online retailers. Pick out some favorite frames and open the individual pages in separate tabs or windows of your web browser. Similar to trying on glasses at a standard retailer, you need to figure out if the frames you like are appropriate for your face. You might visit my post on the topic of face shape. If you have a nice oval face, you're in luck, most any pair will look on you. If you have strong, angular features, a rounded or rimless pair will look god on you. If you have a very round face, choose a rectangular or hexagonal pair of glasses. If you just want a basic pair of professional glasses, go with titanium rimless.

Using your trusty measuring tape, you can compare other measurements of your existing glasses with what you are looking at online. The bridge measurement describes the distance between lenses, the height describes the distance from the lowest point on the front of the frame to the highest point, and the lens describes the distance between the end of the bridge and the beginning of the temple. Some retailers also offer free virtual try-on. This service, which I describe in will allow you to upload a picture and place a variety of frame types on your face.

4-Step Visual Storytelling: How to Build a Story That Connects

In leadership, one-on-one, coaching conversations and even around the water cooler, we are constantly telling stories. Some work better than others.

If you want to lead effectively, share ideas and motivate people to take action, knowing how to tell effective stories will go a long way to helping you achieve your goals.

In business, it's often the story that is what helps people understand your idea and take part in a sense of discovery. In essence, this kind of meaningful conversation connects the dots. It's not just a bunch of random data. And it's not just a lot of sentiments and feelings.

A well-planned story appeals to every listener. It is visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. It seamlessly blends emotional and logical insights. In short, it connects.

Imagine for a moment that telling a visual story consists of 4 phases more info. Let's examine each phase, one at a time.

Step 1. Show What Matters Most
Show and tell your audience with pictures, visual metaphors and visual examples. Pain a picture in the minds of your listeners. By tapping into visual understanding, participants enjoy a sense of discovery. This helps them relate your pictures to their personal set of values.

Step 2. Speak In Your Authentic Voice
Every presenter brings his or her uniqueness to storytelling. Perhaps you are a natural at telling jokes. Or maybe you prefer to have a serious tone and emphasize examples with hard data.

Finding your personal expression is the fastest way to become an exceptional storyteller. You won't have to worry about trying to be like your boss or a competitor. Just focus on being yourself.

Step 3. Use Your Emotional Intelligence
Sense what your participants are feeling and concerned about. Are they focusing on negative stories of recession? Are they worried about downsizing? Are they in need of an uplifting story or example of someone who overcame tremendous odds? Or are they fed up with motivation and looking for realistic understanding?

If you and I were sitting shoulder to shoulder, we'd figure this one out. It's not the easiest thing in the world -- especially virtually. But working with a presentation coach, it's easier to develop a sense of what is truly going on for you clients and prospects.

Take the time to develop a keen intuition. Focus on listening for what is said--and what is unsaid.

And yes, this will help you at home when relating with your partner or spouse.

Step 4. Connect with Personal Stories
Learn to connect by sharing relevant personal examples. It's often said that the more you share about your own experience, the more believable you are.

For instance, just this morning I met up with a prospective client. She told me about the current struggles in her business, and all the challenges of staying creative in the face of economic pressures. We swamped tales of obstacles and celebrated even the smallest triumphs.

In the process, we connected at a deeper level.

After a short time, we found a deep sense of similarity in our situations. We bonded. From this connection, it was much easier to brainstorm and think creatively. Working together, we developed a new way to solve her current presentation training issues.

Without openness of real-world examples, this might have just been a chance meeting and a perfunctory exchange. By opening up the zone of conversation, we told stories and used metaphors. Ideas flew. Rapport was immediate.

Personal Trainer - Why Losing Weight With a Trainer is the Ideal Option

If you are fed up of buying fat loss diet supplements and pills or spending money on highly scientific or most efficient weight loss programs, then it is probably the best time to stay away from hype and take direct action by hiring a personal trainer. A professional fitness trainer knows everything about food and exercises and how they affect the body. He has enough experience to help you not only to get rid of the excess fat but also to put your body in great shape.

A lot of people still harbor the wrong notion that fitness trainers are only for celebrities or very rich people. Even if it were true at some places in the past, it is no longer the situation now. More and more people are leaning towards professional trainers because only they can offer the best solution to individual weight problems. Only a personal trainer can lay out the personalized plan that will give you the best result in the shortest possible time without need for endless trial-and-error on your part.

The reason why most weight loss programs end up in failure is that they don't (or can't) consider issues specific to you. They are based on some general one-size-fit-all approach. Even the best program will fail if you, for some reason, can't put it to practice. For instance, some elements of your personal profile such as age, fitness level, medical history, eating or other habits, level of personal discipline, etc can always hamper what you are trying to achieve.

A certified personal trainer, on the contrary, can design a program specifically for you keeping in mind your personal inclinations more info. It is this ability to customize the program that gives high success rate to the trainers. They can also tailor made the exercise routine based on your preference to workout at home, gym, or elsewhere and whether you want to use equipments or not. Once your program has been designed, you are free to decide how often you would like to have your trainer around you (and pay him too). Frankly speaking, you don't need his presence every time you workout.

Obesity is not merely a weight problem, even if that is what the doctors or experts say. Excessive weight does not come alone; it invites a lot of other issues like poor self image, high stress, an inferiority complex, depression, etc which together precipitate a sense of loss of control on life. A personal trainer can address these issues more effectively. In reality, it is these emotional matters that play a large role in deciding the effectiveness of the program. Unlike the marketed weight loss packages that forget you after taking your money, the fitness trainers are committed to giving you the satisfactory result and are accountable for it.

Laziness and lack of motivation are two major obstacles for the success of any fat loss activity. A personal trainer knows it all too well and does everything to keep you in high spirits. He will also make you realize the importance of the program and help you commit towards its success. Boredom is another frequent culprit that defeats the purpose. Skillful trainers never allow monotony in the routine of workouts by including variety and presenting interesting challenges.

Finally, having someone to constantly monitor your progress is a great help. The feedback not only tells you about the progress so far but it also allows you to set future goals. This significantly changes your attitude as well as thinking and you are positively motivated to achieve those goals. Hence, looking at every angle a personal trainer is immensely beneficial is solving the real life issues that are crucial for the success of your weight loss program.

Relocating - How a Relocations Consultant Helped a Family Move From the UK to Sydney

Relocating your family and belongings from the United Kingdom to a new home in Australia is a big decision to make. Although being a huge change for everyone involved, there will also be the excitement and anticipation of living in a new country.

The initial step is to engage international removalists who will pack, transfer and unpack your furniture. The next step is to get a good understanding of your new City, including its suburbs, rental values, schools and the diverse amenities on offer. This research can begin before leaving the UK.

When relocating, families find that there are three major areas of concern: Where will we live? Where will our children go to school? Where are all the facilities needed to carry on our new lifestyle?

The following is an example of a family with 3 children aged between 9 and 13, and how they successfully moved to Sydney. The selected a removalist that offered a complete package of services that included not only the physical move of their belongings, but also expert assistance from a Home Search Consultant. Her role started before the family left the UK by offering advice and information regarding their Home and School Search as well as many aspects of settling in to Sydney and making it their home.

Having been assigned a consultant, the family was asked to complete a formal Relocation Questionnaire. This is a very important document as it requires the transferee to think through their practical needs - housing, rental, transport, and gives the consultant a good idea of their expectations. Once the consultant received the questionnaire, contact was made with the family to not only discuss the practicalities but also any emotional issues that the family may have in relation to the move.

In assessing the family's knowledge of Sydney the first question asked was "Have you been to Sydney before?" - "Of course, on holidays" was the response more info. The consultant then gently pointed out that their impression of Sydney as a tourist would be quite different to the one they will have coming in as a resident. The consultant's conversation was to set expectations of what life will be like in Sydney, make positive suggestions and offering alternatives to some preconceived thoughts.

From this discussion the consultant was made aware of their interest in living in the Eastern Suburbs and their wish for the children to attend a private school that offered the International Baccalaureate program. The option of public Schooling in the primary years was also discussed and the explanation of school zoning was explained.

In researching the IB the Consultant learned that this Programme has three levels that are offered in Sydney: Primary Years Programme - Ages 3-12 - 3 schools; Middle Years Programme - Ages 11-16 - 2 schools; Diploma Years Programme - Ages 16-19 - 13 schools.

In the Eastern Suburbs it was found that the Diploma Programme was only offered at 2 schools. In further discussions with the family it was pointed out that their preference was for a Co-Educational School. This then opened up the option for one school in the Eastern Suburbs and the other on the Lower North Shore.

The consultant called the schools to see if places would be available for the children and passed on the website links so that the family could evaluate each of the schools and options available to them, including enrolment details and fees payable. Appointments were then made at the schools for when the family arrived in Sydney.

Choosing the right suburb in a new city takes considerable thought and planning. Deciding where to live is a combination of a number of important factors - How easy is it for the children to get to school? How long is the commute to work? Is public transport an option? What sporting facilities are available? Do they intend to rent or buy in the area? For this family, they wanted to live in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The Consultant took an objective view to this to determine why this particular area. Do they have friends who live there? Is it an area they are familiar with? Has someone else recommended this as a perfect location? As the most suitable schools were located in the Eastern Suburbs as well as the Lower North Shore it was pointed out the benefits of both.

The family were then sent links to various real estate sites and encouraged to look for themselves at different properties that were available in each of the areas suggest. This gave them a good understanding of rental properties available and values. It was then suggested that they send through links to properties of interest prior to their arrival so that inspections could be organised to coincide with their school appointments.

The family felt tremendously encouraged that before they had even arrived they had not only been provided with information regarding schooling but also had been able to make contact with schools that fitted their needs, confirmed places available for the children and appointments made for them on their arrival. They also had a better understanding of the different areas of Sydney, the rental market, and been able to send through properties that they would like to inspect that would be close to each school.

Through further emails before their arrival the family asked for information on Christmas holiday camps for the children including their son's registration for a cricket team and surfing lessons, information regarding joining a Pony Club for their daughter and a list of holiday activities for the family. Other questions involving connection of utilities, driver's licence and opening bank accounts were all easily answered. On their arrival, orientation of the different areas including visits to shopping centres and driving to schools and the office quickly helped to familiarise them with their new home location.

Direct communication with the family along with thorough preparation and planning, prior to their arrival, proved to be the key ingredients for the success of this family's relocation. Engaging relocation services from their removalist company considerably reduced the stress of settling in to Sydney quickly. All the very important issues unfamiliar to them were taken care of ensuring the family looked forward to their "Sydney Experience".

Powerful Landing Pages Don't Have to Be Difficult to Create

While doing some research for one of our clients on a pay-per-click campaign, I was reminded of how important it was to have an effective landing page. A landing page or squeeze page (as it is also known as because it gathers info and squeezes prospects into a funnel) is the site that you direct people to from a Google text ad, email, or direct mail campaign.

I see a lot of mistakes out there and they are too numerous to list here so I thought I'd give you the top three elements that you absolutely need to follow:

* Match: Make sure that the design (look and feel) and the headline match your direct mail, email, ad, or whatever else you used to drive people to the landing page more info. For example, you have an email campaign to drive your customers or prospects to a landing page. If the landing page doesn't match the email then people might feel that they are being tricked and sent to someplace different. Matching the headline is hugely important as well. Remember, people on average take 10 seconds or less to decide on whether they are going to continue on your landing page or not.

* One Thing: Make sure that you are giving your customers/prospects just one thing to do once they visit your landing page. I commonly see sites that are more like resource sites with a bunch of links for whitepapers, etc. Here's where our direct response or entrepreneurial approach to marketing comes in handy. My assumption is that you want to make a sale -- you only have a few seconds -- you don't want to confuse them or lose them. Make sure to give them clear direction as to what you are offering and what their call-to-action is (what you want them to do next). Don't try to do too much by giving them too much information or by giving them an exit by placing links that will basically send them away from your landing page before leaving their info on your form.

* Form: Make sure to place your form at the top or where it is visible once someone opens your landing page. If you are providing your prospects clear direction as to what to do, then you want to give them the vehicle to do just that. Don't make them search for it. Put the form right where they can see it. Normally, that is to the side or right up front and is easily visible once they open your landing page.

There are more things that go into a top notch landing page but these are a good start.

Ramon provides more marketing information, especially created for the IT VAR industry but also applies to everyone who wants to improve their sales. Stay up-to-date at StreetSmartVAR.com [http://www.streetsmartvar.com] and while you're there, don't forget to sign up for Ramon's popular, no-cost online marketing course!